Warmth She Never Had
by Sombereyes
Summary: Tenzin had personally asked Lin to keep an eye on his family, to watch them. There was an undercurrent to his words as well. The same undercurrent that he used whenever it regarded Pema and his offspring. Lin had to care for them as well, see to them, as if they were her own family. Who was she kidding? They were her family too, every last one of them, in spirit at least.


A/N: This project was requested by someone who wishes to remain anonymous. I undertook the project due to the rather obscure nature of the pairing. Further, they asked that it be posted up tonight, a mere 8 hours after the request itself…so, this was written with a bit of haste in mind. Furthermore, I don't naturally tend to ship this pairing, as I do actually think Pema and Tenzin go well together on their own...but it wasn't as if the person asking for this was being particularly unreasonable.

So, that being said, Pema/Lin fluff…with an implication of Tenzin-Pema-Lin triad. That's what was asked of me, so, that's what I wrote…

This is a one-shot work, and takes place after book four.

 **Warmth She Never Had**

Bare feet pattered quietly across the wooden floor, side stepping sleeping teenagers left and right. They'd seemed to have forgotten the location of their bedrooms. Lin thought little of this, thankful at least, that they hadn't made a peep since she had managed to get them to bed. Now there was only one other person to look after, and with her pregnant belly swollen and the baby inside kicking around, there would be no rest for the poor woman.

If it were any other person, Lin would have thought the mother of four, soon to be five, completely insane. However, this particular woman was suited to the task, it was her utmost joy, or, so Pema had said when Lin asked her about the situation over eight months back.

"You should try and get some sleep." Lin said quietly when she noticed that Pema was still wide awake, her nose in a book.

"I wish I could." She said quietly, hand resting over where the baby kicked. Her eyes drifted to the window, a frown upon her lips. "I'm worried about Tenzin."

Lin slid the door to the bedroom closed behind her saying nothing to this. She knew Pema worried about the man, in truth, Lin did too. Even so, that would do them no good. Tenzin had personally asked Lin to keep an eye on his family, to watch them…but there was an undercurrent to his words as well. The same undercurrent that he used whenever it regarded Pema and his offspring. Lin had to care for them as well, see to them, as if they were her own family...

Hell, who was she kidding? They were her family too, every last one of them, in spirit at least, if not in breeding.

She sat on the bedside, and with great care pulled the book away. Unfortunately, she had never learned to gentle her voice in the same manner. "You're not reading this stupid thing, you're stewing. Stop now, before you really start to stress out."

Pema just smiled and sighed. "I am a pregnant woman Lin."

"For the fifth time, yes." Lin agreed, her hand falling over Pema's own. "That's not an excuse."

A swat at Lin's thigh, and both women locked eyes. Yet, it was Pema who spoke. "Stop monitoring my vital signs with your seismic sense. I'm fine Lin, truly, my mind only wandered off a little."

"Which gives me enough of a reason to be equally worried about you." Lin shot back at the younger woman.

Deep green eyes narrowed in a fashion that could only be described as playful. The hand on Lin's leg began to move, raising up to cup her cheek. Begrudgingly, Lin leaned into that warm palm she had learned to desire more than life itself. She covered Pema's hand with one of her own. "You shouldn't be worried about me." Pema said simply. "I am happy now. You're here, and that's what counts."

Lin rolled her eyes and pulled away. "What will it take for you to go to bed?"

"For you to stop patrolling the house." Pema answered honestly. "Come lay with me. It's late, and you don't come over nearly as often as you should."

"I have my work. I can't very well leave Republic City unattended for very long." Lin protested with a small huff of annoyance. "You know what happens when I do."

"I also know that you're very much needed here." Pema said quietly, patting the open spot in the bed. "The island isn't all that big. It's going to be a very long night if all you do is walk around in circles, you know."

Lin thought on this, but Pema had already spoken. There were very few people who could order Lin around, but Pema had become important to Lin. Important enough, anyway, to do what the woman asked of her. Lin unbent her armor from her body, leaving her only in a pair of white cotton shorts and a tank-top. "Listen, Pema…with so many air benders out there now, Tenzin will have to be away from you more and more by the day. Doesn't that bother you?"

Pema pulled the covers away from her, and stood from the bed, coming to stand behind Lin. Her arms wrapped around the older woman's chest, as she rested her head against Lin's back. She could feel each breath, the raw strength in each movement. She placed a gentle kiss on an exposed shoulder. "Ask me that ten years ago, I would've said yes. Now though…" Pema was more at ease, more sure of who she was…more curtain of Tenzin, and more aware of Lin. "Oh, Lin…he didn't marry me to spite you. He just wanted a family, same as I did. That's why I know...no matter how far he goes, his heart will always be in the right place. We're the only ones who'll ever have that side of him."

For a woman in her fifties she was as strong as an ox. Effortlessly she lifted the much shorter Pema into her arms. Carrying her back to the bed, where Lin firmly believed she belonged. There was no more beautiful a sight, Lin decided, as she held herself above the woman. Being a wife, being a mother...suited her. Lin still found that just a little too hard to swallow. "It wasn't that I didn't want a family. It was that I would have been a horrible mother. I knew that, so I just decided not to have children."

Pema shook her head, leaning in to kiss Lin ever so gently. For those few moments, it was only the two of them in the entire world. There was no Republic City, no avatar to train, and no one to come between them.

As the door slid open, the lovers pulled away, both of their gazes settling on the dark hallway. A very sleepy little girl closed the door behind her before sneaking into bed with her mother. It was as if she had gone on unnoticed. Meelo was the next to creep into the room not a moment later, holding his pillow in hand.

Lin gave Pema a harsh look. "You still allow this?"

Pema just smirked. "They are their father's children. So much so that Jinora has probably made her way to Kai's room as we speak."

The implication was not lost on Lin, who sighed deeply. Tenzin was a wanderer in his sleep too, although in far different ways…ways she suspected were the cause of why Tenzin had so many children in the first place. As Ikki fidgeted around, it was only after she curled up into her mother that she drifted back to sleep. "They most certainly are, aren't they?"

With a well-practiced hand, Pema scooted her sleeping daughter, which in turn forced her son to roll onto his side. Finally, there was enough room for Lin once more. She patted the space welcomingly, and finally the older woman complied. "I'm never going to get used to this…"

"You will." Pema murmured ever so softly as she leaned into Lin, taking comfort in their half-embrace.

A tug at the blankets, and Lin rolled her eyes. "No…" She sighed as she picked up the young Rohan, who then saw fit to curl up between the two of them, his small fist clinging onto her shirt. Why he always seemed to do that, she would never know. "I really won't…"


End file.
